Remaining Geelong Cup Day program postponed

Racing Victoria (RV) and Geelong Racing Club (GRC) advise that the remaining six races on today’s Ladbrokes Geelong Cup Day program have been postponed until tomorrow due to severe winds. 

After the running of Race 3, jockeys met with RV stewards to raise safety concerns due to winds which were increasing in velocity.

With the Bureau of Meteorology advising that winds were due to further increase during the following hour, stewards delayed the meeting by 45 minutes to allow time before reassessing weather conditions.

After conditions failed to improve, stewards made the decision to postpone the meeting on the advice of emergency services who had informed that conditions were not likely to improve before 5pm.

Following consultation with the Geelong Racing Club, the Bureau of Meteorology and emergency services, RV made the decision to postpone races 4-9 on today’s program until tomorrow, Thursday, 23 October.

The decision to postpone the meeting until the following day was made to allow the remaining Geelong Cup Day program to proceed safely with minimal disruption to the Spring Racing Carnival pattern of races given the importance of the Ladbrokes Geelong Cup (2400m) in offering a golden ticket into the Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 4.

The Roderick Insurance Brokers 3YO Geelong Classic (2200m) is also a key lead up to the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) in 10 days’ time.

Scratchings will be reinstated for the remainder of the postponed Geelong Cup Day program with new race times as follows:

• Race 1 Geelong Caravanning Leisurefest BM66 Handicap - 2.25pm

• Race 2 Roderick Insurance Brokers 3YO Geelong Classic - 3.00pm

• Race 3 Lindsey Smith Spicer T'Breds BM70 Handicap - 3.35pm

• Race 4 Ladbrokes Geelong Cup - 4.10pm

• Race 5 Rex Gorell Volkswagen Dual Choice Plate - 4.50pm

• Race 6 The Sporting Globe Last Call BM78 Hcp (MCC Series Heat) - 5.30pm

To accommodate the Geelong meeting, race times will be adjusted for tomorrow’s Mornington program as follows:

• Race 1 - 1:00pm

• Race 2 - 1:30pm

• Race 3 - 2:05pm

• Race 4 - 2:40pm

• Race 5 - 3:15pm

• Race 6 - 3:50pm

• Race 7 - 4:30pm

• Race 8 - 5:10pm

The Geelong Racing Club has confirmed free admission for tomorrow's meeting.